The poetic cuisine of Chef Stéphane Décotterd

Morels and duxelles

• 500 g fresh morels
• 1/2 chopped shallot
• 10 g butter
• Madeira
• salt, freshly ground pepper

Cut off the stems of the morels, then wash them several times in plenty of water to remove any traces of sand or soil. Drain and dry on a cloth.
Remove 150g of morels (the least beautiful) and chop with a knife.
Sweat the chopped shallot in the butter, add the chopped morels and steam until all the water has evaporated. Deglaze with a dash of Madeira and season with salt and pepper.

Morel stuffing

• 1 dl whole milk
• 3 g cornflour
• 10g butter
• pinch of morel powder (dried and mixed morels)
• the morel duxelles
• 100 g toasted breadcrumbs, powdered and mixed

Pour the milk into a
saucepan. Add the cornflour,
butter and morel powder. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and stir in the duxelles and breadcrumbs. Adjust the seasoning and place in a pastry bag fitted with a stuffing tip. Stuff the morels and keep in a cool place until ready to cook.

Tuiles cristallines de champignons

• 100 g mushroom stock (basic recipe)
• 8 g cornflour
• salt

Bring the stock to the boil, then stir in the cornflour diluted in a little cold water. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a syrupy consistency. Spread out very thinly on baking paper and leave to dry for 3 hours in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 45°C. Peel and cut into pieces. Plunge into an oil bath at 160°C, then drain on absorbent paper. The tiles should remain translucent.

Crunchy liquorice crumbs

• 1 slice stale sourdough bread
• morel powder
• liquorice root powder (available from herbalists)

Remove the crust from the bread and blend coarsely. Place the crumbs in a colander and fry in an oil bath at 170°C. Drain on absorbent paper and sprinkle sparingly with morel powder and liquorice root.

Liquorice cream

• 75 g full cream
• 75 g whole milk
• juice of one lemon
• a pinch of liquorice root powder (available from herbalists)
• 10 g butter
• salt
• 100 g double cream

Cream the butter in a small saucepan with the liquorice root powder. Deglaze with the lemon juice, reduce, then add the full cream and milk.
Cook for 5 minutes over a low heat and strain. Blend with the double cream and adjust the seasoning.

Mushroom sucs with mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon of seeds
• white mustard seeds
• 1 dl dry white wine (Chasselas)
• 2 dl brown mushroom juice (basic recipe)

Blanch the mustard seeds for 2 x 2 minutes, then place in a saucepan with the white wine. Cover and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes.
Add to the brown juice
and adjust the seasoning.

Morel sabayon

• 130 g butter
• 6 g dried morels, crushed
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 whole egg
• 2 g salt

The day before, melt the butter with the dried morels. Leave to infuse overnight, then strain. Combine the egg and yolk in a saucepan. Place the pan in a bain-marie and beat briskly until the mixture foams and doubles in volume.
Continue whisking for
3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the infused butter. Season and pour into a siphon, adding 2 cartridges of gas. Keep in a bain-marie at 55°C.

Finishes and dressing

• stuffed morels
• 20 g butter
• Madeira
• liquorice cream
• crispy crumbs
• crystalline tuile
• morel sabayon
• mushroom juices

1 – Heat the butter until it foams, add the morels and fry quickly. Deglaze with the Madeira and cover. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, then remove the lid and reduce to dryness. Coat with a spoonful of crème de réglisse.

2 – Drizzle the brown mushroom juice over the bottom of the plates. Smoothly add a few dashes of liquorice cream. Sprinkle the morels with crunchy crumbs and arrange them in the centre of the plates. Top with a crystalline tuile. Serve the sabayon in front of your guests.